Candy Leonard is a first-generation Beatle fan, intimately familiar with their entire body of work, biography, the commentary on them, and Beatle fan culture. She is also a sociologist with a background in qualitative research, child development, popular culture, and media studies who has written and lectured on the Beatles. She lives in Cambridge, MA.
"This fun and insightful study of pop music fandom is recommended
both to older Beatlemaniacs who were there and to younger fans who
want to know what it was like to be a part of the phenomenon."
Library Journal
"A must-have for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard
uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature
passed over by shifting attention from the Beatles' personal and
professional lives to their fans' stories. . . . Leonard's ability
to mesh both a strong narrative style and her research adds
concrete scenes readers can enjoy and picture throughout the book."
Payton Davis, thespectrum.com
"A book like no other . . . Highly recommended to anyone who was
alive when the Beatles rocked our world, or for those who came
later that want to visit Beatle magic for the first time." Lauren
Passarelli, guitar professor and Beatles expert, Berklee College of
Music
"Explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles'
phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable
perspective on the band's impact on US teens during the sixties."
The Glass Onion Beatles Journal
"For once, a book about the Beatles that differs . . . from the
ones that have gone before. Beatleness is a look at the
meaning of the Beatles to the 'first generation' . . . Told through
numerous perspectives, it traces the five-year journey of these
fans along with the Beatles from their debut, their progression and
their end in May 1970. . . . A worthwhile and deeply interesting
read . . . Highly recommended." Rob Ross, Popdose
"Candy Leonard explores new ground in this glorious examination of
how the four lads from Liverpool changed our lives.
Beatleness is the story of you, me, and millions of other
baby boomers that grew up loving the Beatles." Chachi Loprete, host
of Breakfast with The Beatles, WZLX Radio, Boston
"A fascinating study of the Beatles' resounding impact upon
late-twentieth-century American culture. . . . While hundreds of
Beatles books stake claims about being the definitive work,
Leonard's Beatleness finally gets to the heart of the
matter, offering readers new insights into the unusual and lasting
nature of Beatles fandom." Kenneth Womack, author of Long and
Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles and The Beatles
Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four
"As a college-level Beatles instructor, I find Dr. Leonard's work
accessible to students new to the fields of sociology and critical
cultural studies. This text puts the 'popular' back in popular
culture studies. What Howard Zinn accomplished in A Peoples
History of the United States, Dr. Leonard achieves in
Beatleness, a true People's History of The Beatles." David
Gallant, Suffolk University, Boston
"There have been many books through the years about the Beatles,
but Candy Leonard's Beatleness stands out. It's a wonderful
analysis of the Beatles and Beatlemania that will make Beatle fans
smile because they can relate to it and see themselves in it. There
have been many attempts over the years to describe how the Beatles
affected their fans and the world. Pick up Beatleness and
discover the Beatles all over again." Steve Marinucci, Beatles
Examiner
"Unique among Beatle books and I've read just about all of them
Beatleness is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship
between the lads from Liverpool and first-generation fans, showing
how that relationship changed all of us. You will find yourself in
these pages, and you will love what you read." Jude Southerland
Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series
"Leonard manages to find a new angle of approach to the study of
the Beatles. . . . A welcome . . . sociocultural study for the
Beatlemaniac bookworm." Kirkus Reviews
"Candy Leonard's focus on the way the Beatles' fans saw them
particularly as they changed, musically and otherwise, during the
1960s is both innovative and revealing, and adds a new dimension to
how we think of the Beatles and their accomplishments." Allan
Kozinn, former New York Times music critic and author of
The Beatles: From the Cavern to the Rooftop
"Beatlemania was a singular force in the history of the world, and
it has never been capably explained in all of its dimensions. But
Candy Leonard's Beatleness gets us a little bit closer. This
is a soulfully written, genre-defying book that should be of
interest to Beatles fans and cultural historians alike." John
McMillian, author of Beatles vs. Stones
"A new book that's bound to give even a modest fan a unique look at
how the Beatles forever changed the world of music." US Airways
Magazine
"Beatleness demonstrates that the Beatles are an important
part of who we are as baby boomers." Paul Briand, Baby Boomer
Examiner
"Beatleness taps into our generation's collective memory and
evokes the sixties through our personal relationship with the
Beatles. The Beatles were our troubadours who helped us make sense
of a turbulent era, and Beatleness shows us how. . . . For those
who want to see how the Beatles helped define a generation, this is
the book to read." Leonard Steinhorn, and author of The Greater
Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy
"Candy Leonard's evocative book is filled with striking insights
into the experiences and sensibilities of the young who plunged
into Beatlemania, and contributes much to a composite portrait of
the sixties as they were lived." Todd Gitlin, author of The
Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage
"An accessible read and an often fascinating journey of how one
generation has incorporated the Beatles' music into their lives. .
. . Fills a knowledge gap in the band's vast history . . . First
generation fans will appreciate this look back at a particular time
in music history, while subsequent generations will enjoy learning
why the band still plays a significant part in music and general
history." Kit O'Toole, author of Songs We Were Singing: Guided
Tours Through the Beatles' Lesser-Known Tracks
"Leonard connects Beatles fans' experiences with the tumult of the
times, creating a rich and insightful study of what truly has to be
one of the most significant phenomena of the twentieth century."
William Routhier, Boston Music Examiner
"With the sheer number of Beatles-related books available, it seems
a fool's errand to try to write one that offers a fresh
perspective. Leonard's Beatleness, however, does just that,
because she goes straight to a vital (and largely ignored) Fab Four
source: the fans. . . . She builds a three-dimensional, completely
human tale, the likes of which has never before been tackled by a
Beatles author." Allison Johnelle Boron, Goldmine
"In producing Breakfast With The Beatles for 25 years, one
of my greatest ongoing challenges is trying to describe what it was
like when Beatlemania was actually happening. For first-generation
and new fans alike, Candy Leonard's Beatleness is the go-to source
for exactly that. It goes way beyond the simple chronology of
events, explaining why we felt the way we did about The Beatles and
their music, and why they were so important to us. In telling the
story this way, Beatleness provides a clearer picture of how
they changed the world." Dennis Mitchell, producer/host of the
globally syndicated, award-winning Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast
With The Beatles
"Candy Leonard was 'possessed' when she first heard the Beatles,
and Beatleness is her story and ours. It's breezy, smart and
openhearted, and everyone who grew up with the band or wants to
know what that was like will appreciate its insights and feel its
emotional impact." Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor,
Rolling Stone
"Very impressive. Beatleness not only describes what it was
like to be a hardcore fan from the beginning (like me), but
explains it in a historical and personal context. For forty years
of The FEST we've been celebrating our love for the Beatles with
thousands of fans. Now we have a word for it." Mark Lapidos,
president, Mark Lapidos Productions and founder, The Fest for
Beatles Fans
"A very intelligent and well-researched book on a phenomenon that
has reached the half-century mark and is still evolving." Dave
Schwensen, author of The Beatles at Shea Stadium and The
Beatles in Cleveland
"From ex-employees to ex-lovers, we've seemingly heard from
everyone associated with the Beatles. Beatleness finally
lets us hear from another group: the fans whose lives were forever
altered by rock's greatest band. These are vivid snapshots of
people who rode the wave and suffered through the crash of
Beatlemania as much as anyone who worked for the band." David
Browne, author of Fire and Rain: The Beatles,Simon & Garfunkel,
James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970
"I love this book! The beautifully written Beatleness will
not only bring to life all the excitement for those that weren't
living yet during the Beatle years, it will cause major goosebumps,
all over again, to those who were there. It's an incredibly hip and
astute account of all the Beatles' major happenings that affected
so many people around the world who were riveted to their every
move. I can't wait to read it again!" Will Lee, Grammy Award
winning bass player and studio musician, Late Show with David
Letterman and Fab Faux
"This fun and insightful study of pop music fandom is recommended
both to older Beatlemaniacs who were there and to younger fans who
want to know what it was like to be a part of the phenomenon."
Library Journal
"A must-have for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard
uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature
passed over by shifting attention from the Beatles' personal and
professional lives to their fans' stories. . . . Leonard's ability
to mesh both a strong narrative style and her research adds
concrete scenes readers can enjoy and picture throughout the book."
Payton Davis, thespectrum.com
"A book like no other . . . Highly recommended to anyone who was
alive when the Beatles rocked our world, or for those who came
later that want to visit Beatle magic for the first time." Lauren
Passarelli, guitar professor and Beatles expert, Berklee College of
Music
"Explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles'
phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable
perspective on the band's impact on US teens during the sixties."
The Glass Onion Beatles Journal
"For once, a book about the Beatles that differs . . . from the
ones that have gone before. Beatleness is a look at the
meaning of the Beatles to the 'first generation' . . . Told through
numerous perspectives, it traces the five-year journey of these
fans along with the Beatles from their debut, their progression and
their end in May 1970. . . . A worthwhile and deeply interesting
read . . . Highly recommended." Rob Ross, Popdose
"Candy Leonard explores new ground in this glorious examination of
how the four lads from Liverpool changed our lives.
Beatleness is the story of you, me, and millions of other
baby boomers that grew up loving the Beatles." Chachi Loprete, host
of Breakfast with The Beatles, WZLX Radio, Boston
"A fascinating study of the Beatles' resounding impact upon
late-twentieth-century American culture. . . . While hundreds of
Beatles books stake claims about being the definitive work,
Leonard's Beatleness finally gets to the heart of the
matter, offering readers new insights into the unusual and lasting
nature of Beatles fandom." Kenneth Womack, author of Long and
Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles and The Beatles
Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four
"As a college-level Beatles instructor, I find Dr. Leonard's work
accessible to students new to the fields of sociology and critical
cultural studies. This text puts the 'popular' back in popular
culture studies. What Howard Zinn accomplished in A Peoples
History of the United States, Dr. Leonard achieves in
Beatleness, a true People's History of The Beatles." David
Gallant, Suffolk University, Boston
"There have been many books through the years about the Beatles,
but Candy Leonard's Beatleness stands out. It's a wonderful
analysis of the Beatles and Beatlemania that will make Beatle fans
smile because they can relate to it and see themselves in it. There
have been many attempts over the years to describe how the Beatles
affected their fans and the world. Pick up Beatleness and
discover the Beatles all over again." Steve Marinucci, Beatles
Examiner
"Unique among Beatle books and I've read just about all of them
Beatleness is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship
between the lads from Liverpool and first-generation fans, showing
how that relationship changed all of us. You will find yourself in
these pages, and you will love what you read." Jude Southerland
Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series
"Leonard manages to find a new angle of approach to the study of
the Beatles. . . . A welcome . . . sociocultural study for the
Beatlemaniac bookworm." Kirkus Reviews
"Candy Leonard's focus on the way the Beatles' fans saw them
particularly as they changed, musically and otherwise, during the
1960s is both innovative and revealing, and adds a new dimension to
how we think of the Beatles and their accomplishments." Allan
Kozinn, former New York Times music critic and author of
The Beatles: From the Cavern to the Rooftop
"Beatlemania was a singular force in the history of the world, and
it has never been capably explained in all of its dimensions. But
Candy Leonard's Beatleness gets us a little bit closer. This
is a soulfully written, genre-defying book that should be of
interest to Beatles fans and cultural historians alike." John
McMillian, author of Beatles vs. Stones
"A new book that's bound to give even a modest fan a unique look at
how the Beatles forever changed the world of music." US Airways
Magazine
"Beatleness demonstrates that the Beatles are an important
part of who we are as baby boomers." Paul Briand, Baby Boomer
Examiner
"Beatleness taps into our generation's collective memory and
evokes the sixties through our personal relationship with the
Beatles. The Beatles were our troubadours who helped us make sense
of a turbulent era, and Beatleness shows us how. . . . For those
who want to see how the Beatles helped define a generation, this is
the book to read." Leonard Steinhorn, and author of The Greater
Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy
"Candy Leonard's evocative book is filled with striking insights
into the experiences and sensibilities of the young who plunged
into Beatlemania, and contributes much to a composite portrait of
the sixties as they were lived." Todd Gitlin, author of The
Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage
"An accessible read and an often fascinating journey of how one
generation has incorporated the Beatles' music into their lives. .
. . Fills a knowledge gap in the band's vast history . . . First
generation fans will appreciate this look back at a particular time
in music history, while subsequent generations will enjoy learning
why the band still plays a significant part in music and general
history." Kit O'Toole, author of Songs We Were Singing: Guided
Tours Through the Beatles' Lesser-Known Tracks
"Leonard connects Beatles fans' experiences with the tumult of the
times, creating a rich and insightful study of what truly has to be
one of the most significant phenomena of the twentieth century."
William Routhier, Boston Music Examiner
"With the sheer number of Beatles-related books available, it seems
a fool's errand to try to write one that offers a fresh
perspective. Leonard's Beatleness, however, does just that,
because she goes straight to a vital (and largely ignored) Fab Four
source: the fans. . . . She builds a three-dimensional, completely
human tale, the likes of which has never before been tackled by a
Beatles author." Allison Johnelle Boron, Goldmine
"In producing Breakfast With The Beatles for 25 years, one
of my greatest ongoing challenges is trying to describe what it was
like when Beatlemania was actually happening. For first-generation
and new fans alike, Candy Leonard's Beatleness is the go-to source
for exactly that. It goes way beyond the simple chronology of
events, explaining why we felt the way we did about The Beatles and
their music, and why they were so important to us. In telling the
story this way, Beatleness provides a clearer picture of how
they changed the world." Dennis Mitchell, producer/host of the
globally syndicated, award-winning Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast
With The Beatles
"Candy Leonard was 'possessed' when she first heard the Beatles,
and Beatleness is her story and ours. It's breezy, smart and
openhearted, and everyone who grew up with the band or wants to
know what that was like will appreciate its insights and feel its
emotional impact." Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor,
Rolling Stone
"Very impressive. Beatleness not only describes what it was
like to be a hardcore fan from the beginning (like me), but
explains it in a historical and personal context. For forty years
of The FEST we've been celebrating our love for the Beatles with
thousands of fans. Now we have a word for it." Mark Lapidos,
president, Mark Lapidos Productions and founder, The Fest for
Beatles Fans
"A very intelligent and well-researched book on a phenomenon that
has reached the half-century mark and is still evolving." Dave
Schwensen, author of The Beatles at Shea Stadium and The
Beatles in Cleveland
"From ex-employees to ex-lovers, we've seemingly heard from
everyone associated with the Beatles. Beatleness finally
lets us hear from another group: the fans whose lives were forever
altered by rock's greatest band. These are vivid snapshots of
people who rode the wave and suffered through the crash of
Beatlemania as much as anyone who worked for the band." David
Browne, author of Fire and Rain: The Beatles,Simon & Garfunkel,
James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970
"I love this book! The beautifully written Beatleness will
not only bring to life all the excitement for those that weren't
living yet during the Beatle years, it will cause major goosebumps,
all over again, to those who were there. It's an incredibly hip and
astute account of all the Beatles' major happenings that affected
so many people around the world who were riveted to their every
move. I can't wait to read it again!" Will Lee, Grammy Award
winning bass player and studio musician, Late Show with David
Letterman and Fab Faux
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